Generic American Rock Bands

[Snake Eyes]

I'm surprised that none of all the people that usually mock down on Nirvana haven't mentioned them yet.

Nice surprise, their a great band. Not one of my favourites but they deserve some respect.

I'm more surprised nobodys threatened to burn me at the stake for hating Van Halen.

I was actually just about to comment on it. I think it's unfair to call Van Halen generic, since at their time they weren't all that generic. The Hard Rock bands that really took huge influences from Van Halen were the Hair Metal bands of the 80's, and the earliest of them all was Motley Crue (which is debatable, that that's not my point), who released their debut in '81 or something, 3 years after Van Halen. In 1978 there really wasn't all that much that was really similar to Van Halen. EVH was the first to do the kinds of solos he did, though they're not commonplace in most Hard Rock/Heavy Metal bands. I just don't think they're generic, but whatever.

I guess their not generic, I just really hate them. And the singer called The Clash "fakers", which is just bullshit.

I can see where others would enjoy them mind, it's just not my thing.

[SunnyDRE]

Anyone whos listening to Kings Of Leon's first two albums knows their not generic. Shame on you all.

Yeah, they know that they're just complete shit!

I doubt you have heard their first two albums - if you have my apologies; but you really think they are shit?

i can see you hearing their latest record and forming a negative opinion, cause it does sound generic at times - but their first two albums sound nothing like the one with "use somebody."

[appetite4illusions]

all the country music people have been listening to for the last 20 years, owe alot to Skynyrd.

Try the Allman Brothers. They came first.

[Jumpin' Jack Flash]

No

Yes

HELLLLLLL NO!!!

HELLLLLLL YES!!!

No

Yes

[SunnyDRE]

all the country music people have been listening to for the last 20 years, owe alot to Skynyrd.

Try the Allman Brothers. They came first.

You're right.

I should said AB and Skynyrd.

[Phanatic]

"Generic: Having no distinctive quality or application."

I don't understand why Kings of Leon, Incubus, GnR, and RHCP are up there. At all.

I would say why Foo Fighters, because I love them, but I can honestly name at least 3 other bands that sound like them.

Kings of Leon? Oh come the fuck on. They're pretty original if you've heard their earlier music. And the singer's voice is Pretty fucking distinctive.

Incubus, I've personally never heard another band with their sound, even though I'm not a huge fan.

Guns N' Roses? Really?

Red Hot Chili Peppers will be unique as long as they have had John Frusciante (who left after their last album) I mean clearly he's a genius, his voice and the way he plays so passionately, I can pick him out in any crowd.

Everything else I agree with. Except you can add Nickelback on there a few more times.

EDIT: Foo Fighters isn't the most unique band I've heard, but they are far from shit.

Edited March 9, 2010 by Phanatic

[Zint]

Nickelback are Canadian.

So is Hedley..

[Gordon Comstock]

Foo Fighters are terrible.

Sunny Day Real Estate are pretty bad.....

Paramore

Smashing Pumpkins

Billy Talent

Metric

Queens Of The Stone Age

Green Day

The Offspring

Our Lady Peace

yea...

[Zint]

Good Charlotte

Simple Plan (now that it's open to North America)

Lemonheads

Matchbox 20

Candlebox

Blink 182

[steve-o]

I have to disagree with Puddle of Mudd on this list

Thye have some hits that get absolutly killed on the radio, but they actaully have some great stuff, and surpisingly one of the better live bands I have seen. When I saw the mlive i couldn't belive it was the same band.

[dalsh327]

all the country music people have been listening to for the last 20 years, owe alot to Skynyrd.

Try the Allman Brothers. They came first.

On record, Allmans were first. In bands - they existed about the same time, but Duane became a famous session musician which led to the Allman Brothers, and Skynyrd kept working the clubs through the 60s and 70s.

There was also a reason why Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers didn't get along. Ronnie Van Zant married Gregg Allman's ex-girlfriend, even though Gregg confronted him and asked him "are you trying to sound like me". Truth be told, they were all influenced by the Beatles and were playing in garage bands... but the Allmans wound up signed to a major label and spent some time in Hollywood (they went by the Hourglass and the Allman Joys).

They didn't get along all too well. Ronnie Van Zant's wife Judy had previously gone out with Gregg Allman. After the plane crash, Gregg Allman actually wanted to work with Rossington and Collins, but whether it's old feelings towards his ex (who wound up managing the living members of Skynyrd) heroin, dating Cher, or cashing in on the Skynyrd legacy (remember, this is late 70s, rock bands weren't doing so great) , he wanted to call the band "Free Bird", she said no, but eventually the Rossington Collins Band emerged in the 80s.

Skynyrd were way more formidable as a live act than the Allmans were. Like I said - they were way more closer to resembling GNR on and off stage (Ronnie Van Zant was no different than Axl Rose when it came to flying off the handle. Did Axl ever knock Slash's teeth out?) than they were to bands like the Allman Brothers. Opening for The Who on the Quadrophenia tour - The Who were in pretty rough shape, Keith Moon passing out, the show being plagued with technical problems, so Skynyrd had something to prove, and were good enough that the audience wanted encores. Which is pretty rare for any opening act. And they played Knebworth, and blew the audience away.

I know "Freebird" turned into a tribute to Duane, but Skynyrd had already done the song in 1970.

I might get tired of "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Freebird", but there's plenty in the Skynyrd catalog that I do love hearing time and time again. If you ever watch the Old Grey Whistle Test with them, they were a pretty powerful band where ever they played.

[SunnyDRE]

Greg is a douche and destroyed the Allman's name. They should be thought like the beatles and led zepplin - but thanks to greg...

which ex did ronnie marry? greg had about 50 at a time.

Edited March 9, 2010 by SunnyDRE

[RocketKing99]

Velvet Revolver please. Thanks.

[Powerage5]

I'm waiting for someone to say Coheed & Cambria so I can e-slap them. I know it's inevitable...

Fuck that shit, Coheed are about the most innovative rock band to come out of America in the last decade.

Unfortunately, tons of people write them off as just another band. They're the highlight of the '00's to me.

[SpUd_Jr]

Breaking Benjamin

Lady Antebellum

Bon Jovi

Edited March 9, 2010 by SpUd_Jr

[LightningBolt]

I think there's a VERY distinct difference between the AB band and Skynyrd. Skynyrd seemed to be closer to more traditional rock and leaned towards Hard Rock whereas the Allman Brothers had more of a blues, country, and folk influence in their music, at least I've always thought so.

[Guest deleted_19765]

Just because they are southern and from the same period doesn't mean the two are so alike. ABB has always been mostly a blues band that likes Miles. LS is more "Rock" and more based on songs with catchy melodies and guitar riffs.

And I don't see how you, Sunny, could at all say that LS have influenced Country very much. They may have influenced some of the Neo Outlaws such as Dierks Bentley and Eric Church, but the Nashville machine has mostly gone on in ignorance of them. And even those artists I mentioned were more influenced by real Outlaw Country. There is definitely some influence, but it isn't vital.

[dalsh327]

The best thing about the Allman Brothers are Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes, and face it, who wouldn't want the both of them in their band? But it's become as much of a tribute band as Skynyrd are. And it was pretty cool when Eric Clapton got to do "Layla" with them.

But I am glad the ABB are putting soundboards out from

This is pretty douchey..

Greg is a douche and destroyed the Allman's name. They should be thought like the beatles and led zepplin - but thanks to greg...

which ex did ronnie marry? greg had about 50 at a time.

[dalsh327]

Just because they are southern and from the same period doesn't mean the two are so alike. ABB has always been mostly a blues band that likes Miles. LS is more "Rock" and more based on songs with catchy melodies and guitar riffs.

And I don't see how you, Sunny, could at all say that LS have influenced Country very much. They may have influenced some of the Neo Outlaws such as Dierks Bentley and Eric Church, but the Nashville machine has mostly gone on in ignorance of them. And even those artists I mentioned were more influenced by real Outlaw Country. There is definitely some influence, but it isn't vital.

Hank Jr, Willie Nelson, Charlie Daniels, Jessi Colter, and Waylon Jennings were all the originals of "outlaw country". Country singers grew their hair out and dressed more like rock bands did. Now there's subgenres of country, half of which would scare off a Taylor Swift crowd.

And there's a LOT of fans of hard rock in the 80s that started getting turned on to country in the 90s and 2000s. Maybe Kid Rock's success helped in a small way.

Skynyrd and Eagles did influence a lot of the people who became country artists in the 80s and 90s. And Don Henley apologizes for it, because he's admitted a lot of it is pretty bland.

[kevdo242]

Guns N' Roses.